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More taken as ex-soldiers. Women and old men kneeling and crying, begging our help in getting back their husbands and sons. In a few cases we have been successful but the mili- tary resent any interference from us. Word comes through from Hsiakwan by a representative of the Chinese Red Cross Society that there are approximately 20,000 refugees along the river front. The supply of rice we let them have before the Japanese arrived is nearly exhausted and there is great suffering. They ask to come into the Safety Zone but we are already too crowded. Anyway the Japanese would not permit it, nor will they permit us to go out there and render help. For the time being
For the time being they will have to get along as best they can. Guards are at last posted at the by various foreign embassies. But why wasn't it done two
weeks ago? Our houses are still left unprotected and the few guards posted at some of our camps are often more of a nuisance than a help. They demand fire and food and beds and often other things of the people.
December 30th. I called in the Y.M.C.A. servants today, 18 of them, aid them up to the 15th of next month and told them they must now try to find other work. It was a hard job. Some of them have been with the Association for many years and are fine, faithful fellows. Wong Ding and I hope it may be possible to start something in a small way in the old school building if, and when, we get order established, but few of our members are left and it will be difficult to build up a new constituency from the material that is now in Nanking. Wong Ding has done a splendid Job as assistant housing commissioner and so nas Y.S. Chang as one of the camp superintendents, while our servants have all been doing their bit in one way or another. When I called at the Japanese Embassy this afternoon they were busy giving instructions to about 60 Chinese, most of them our camp managers as to how New Year was to be celebrated. The old five barred flag is to replace the Nationlist flag and they were told to make a thousand of these and also a thousand Japanese flags for that event. Cams of over a thousand must have twenty representatives present, smaller cam s ten. At one o'clock New Year's day the five barred flag is to be raised above the Drum Tower, there will be "suitable" s.eeches and "music" (according to the programme) and of course moving pictures will be taken of the happy peole waving flags and welcoming the new regimel In the meantime the burning of the city continues, three cases of girls of 12 to 13 years of age being raped or abducted are reported; Sperling had a busy time chasing soldiers out of puildings in the immediate vicinity of Headquarters, the Sericulture Building (a part of Nanking University; American property) has a cordon thrown around
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